Loving a Bash Brother UP for Adoption
by AlwayzWriting
Summary: When a firey red head catches Dean Portman's eye he'll do anything to boost her self esteem even a few things he'd never dreamed of . . .like performing in a musical. I don't anything Mighty Ducks.
1. Chapter 1

It was the first day of school Aurora's junior year and her parents were extatic that she managed to get a scholarship to Eden Hall. Looking around though as she listened to the dean's speech she felt sure that this school was going to be a nightmare.

"Does he have to do this every year?" Asked a guy sitting in front of her.

"I know we've been here two years already, you'd think we'd be able to miss out on this snooze fest." The one next to him commented. Aurora read the backs of their jackets. "_Conway_" and "_Germaine"_ after what seemed like hours there were finally dismissed and she couldn't have been anymore ready to go but it seemed she was going to have to wait a while longer while a group of jocks congregated in front of her.

"Hey Russ, how was your summer?" Aurora heard one ask.

"It was fine, you know typical L.A. summer." Someone else replied. After several minutes she squeezed her way in between all of them.

"Excuse me." She kept saying over and over and then she tripped on someone's foot crashing into him. His hands wrapped around her arms steadying her. Aurora looked into his deep brown eyes and all of her vocabulary was ripped from her mouth, all she could do was stare at him.

"Easy there, don't want to get hurt on the first day." He told her.

"Uh, yeah thanks." She replied nervously.


	2. Chapter 2

Aurora made it to her dorm room and smiled at the girl setting up her side of the room.

"Hi, I'm Julie Gaffney." She greeted.

"Aurora Farris.: Aurora replied setting her bag on her bed.

"Scholarship?" Julie guessed.

"Yeah, performing arts, you?"

"Athletics." Julie answered. Aurora nodded and spotted the hockey gear stacked up in a corner. "Oh wait you're the girl that crashed into Portman." Aurora blushed and started twisting her hair, something she did when she was nervous.

"I tripped on someone's foot." She explained weakly and Julie laughed.

"Don't worry about it, he's single." Aurora blushed even deeper then opened her bags and started unpacking.

"So what's the school like?"

"It's a bit stuffy but nothing too bad since the school went from warriors to ducks." Julie explained. "My dad still maintains that if I don't like it here I can go home."

"And where are you from Julie Gaffney?" Aurora asked.

"Maine. And you Aurora Farris?"

"Iowa." Aurora replied. The two spent the rest of the next couple hours getting to know each other and decorating the room. Julie told Aurora a lot about the hockey team and Aurora told Julie about theater.

"I would never have figured this school to give out scholarships for theater."

"They strive for excellence and for that they need to have opportunities in all fields of interest."


	3. Chapter 3

Aurora and Julie went down to breakfast the next morning still laughing and smiling from the night before when Julie sat down at a table with some other hockey players Aurora moved to go sit somewhere else.

"Where're you going? You can sit with us." She looked at the boys sitting at the table who all nodded, so Aurora took the seat Julie saved for her next to Portman.

"So all of you are from other states?" She asked fighting the urge to twist her hair.

"Yep, the others on the team should be here soon." The black kid told her.

"Forgive him, that's Russ Tyler, Dwayne Robertson, Luis Mendoza, Dean Portman and this is Kenny Wu." Julie introduced. "Guys this is my roommate Aurora Ferris."

"Weren't you an Olympic figure skater?" Aurora asked Kenny.

"Yeah, I was." Kenny replied. After several minutes of awkward silence Julie turned to Aurora and smiled.

"Do you have a boyfriend back home?"

"I did but as soon as Rick found out about my going out of state for school he dumped me, told me he was only trying to get in my pants anyway."

"What and asshole." Julie said looking disgusted. A herd of students came in and several joined the table, and the focus was taken off Aurora who was greatly relieved, she looked down at her food and decided she wasn't very hungry so she got up quietly and dumped her tray then went to her first class.


	4. Chapter 4

Aurora couldn't believe it, there was at least one hockey player in every one of her classes, but she did like the fact that she had gym with Portman she couldn't help but stare at the muscles in his arms as he stretched.

"Stare too long and you might go blind." She jumped and looked at the girl next to her. "Hi, I'm Connie, you're Julie's roommate right?"

"Yeah, I am. Are you another hockey player?"

"Mhmm, don't worry I can't blame you for staring. Portman is a very nice specimen of man and his treatment of women is getting a lot better."

"What do you mean?" Aurora asked nervously.

"When he first came on the team he kept calling Julie and me 'babe' and would hardly listen to what we had to say. Now he only calls us 'babe' if he can't remember our names." Aurora was silent as the class progressed and finally the last bell rang and she ran to the auditorium and smiled at the small group milling about the stage. There were four girls and fours girls not including her.

"Where is everyone?" She asked looking at the miniscule group.

"This is everyone." One of the guys said. "After about a year of performing in front of maybe thirty people the kids hoping to be big stars go home." Aurora shook her head.

"People or no people they're doing it for the wrong reasons, you should perform for the love of performing." Aurora replied, grouchily as she thought about those who went home.


	5. Chapter 5

-Julie's P.o.V- After practice I was walking back to my dorm when I passed Adam standing in the doorway to the auditorium.

"What's up Banks?" I asked he held up his finger to signal me to be quite then pointed to the stage where Aurora was singing. "She's in the choir, and she is here on scholarship for performing arts."

"Do you think angels sing like that?"

"What?"

"N-nothing." Banks replied, and then walked away. I stared after him then continued making my way to my dorm. When Aurora made it back to the room I smiled and watched as she let her fiery, red, curls out from the bun she'd had them restrained in.

"What's got you so cheery?" She asked.

"I know someone who likes you." I told her. Going back to my math homework.

"Don't be silly, no one would like me." Aurora replied so seriously it made me forget what we were talking about.

"Well I know someone who called you an angel, or at least said you sing like one."

"Next time you see him tell him that the only thing angelic about me is my voice."

"What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing, forget it." Aurora said opening up her English book and starting on her homework.


	6. Chapter 6

Wednesday rolled around bringing the second day of classes and the second day that Rick was dating Aurora's best friend Jan. Her ex-boyfriend who had dumped her for going to an excellent school called her, the night before, to say that he was now dating Jan who was everything she wasn't. Jan was a tall, leggy, blond with big breasts and was still in town. So Aurora was silently in her own little world all day. Rick didn't bother her it was his dating Jan, she might have been the beautiful blonde but she was more innocent and more trusting that Aurora was. Rick was the type who went sleeping around if he couldn't get what he wanted. Aurora had played ignorant to it, accepting it as who he was, Jan wouldn't though.

"You ok?" Adam Banks asked finding her when she got out of choir.

"Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind." Aurora replied.

"I was just wondering if you would want to come with me to homecoming."

"Let me think about it." She answered then went to her next class, which was study hall and she could be blissfully alone with her gloomy thoughts. She worked a little on her homework but she just couldn't get Jan out of her mind. Aurora couldn't help but think that she needed to do something, but she didn't know how or what.

"Someone's engrossed in their work." She looked up at a girl with thick dark hair that hung around her shoulders. "Look I'm not about to beat around the bush. I heard Adam Banks asked you to homecoming, he's the richest guy here at Eden Hall, and I want him so tell him no alright?"


	7. Chapter 7

-Dean's P.O.V. – At lunch I watched Julie and Aurora talk about something and noticed Adam staring at Aurora. Julie told me I should ask Aurora out to homecoming but that really wasn't my scene, even though I did think the girl was beautiful. I looked at Fulton who was talking to Averman about physics, a class he was taking for reasons known only to Fulton.

"I just don't get it." Fulton said clenching his fists.

"Get what Fulton?" Charlie asked from the head of the table.

"Physics and Averman's not much help telling me it's easy then explaining complicated shit to me."

"Aurora can help you." Julie volunteered and Aurora blushed.

"She was just telling me that she's taking physics and chemistry."

"Why would you choose to do both?" Goldberg asked.

"I don't like having free time and Fulton I can help you if you want but only if you want." Everyone looked at Fulton who nodded.

"So, Aurora, have you thought anymore about going to homecoming with me?" Adam asked, and if I didn't see I never would have believed that she could turn an even deeper shade of red.

"Yes, and I'm still thinking about it." She replied then glanced at me quickly. I looked at Julie who looked like she wanted to kick me. During gym I up to Aurora and gave her my most charming smile.

"Want to go to a concert with me this weekend?" I asked casually.

"I'll think about it."


	8. Chapter 8

Aurora paced around the room thinking about her two offers. Homecoming was in a couple weeks but she didn't want to give off the wrong impression by saying yes to both dates. She was curious as to why two guys would ask her out anyway.

"Aurora, you're wearing a trail in the floor." Julie said, watching her roommate from her bed, Aurora sighed and sat on her own bed.

"I don't know what to do, Adam's nice but there's something Portman. I've been threatened not to go out with Adam but I know nothing about Portman. What kind of concert would it be?"

"Knowing Portman a rock concert of some kind." Aurora wrinkled her nose. She couldn't stand rock music, it was too loud and too fast, give her classical or opera any day of the week. "Someone threatened you about Banks?"

"Yeah something about him being the richest kid in school." Aurora bit her lip still thinking about it.

"I still think you should say yes to both." Julie told her, and finally Aurora pulled a quarter out of her pocket and looked at Julie.

"Heads Portman. Tails Banks." Aurora said and flipped it. She closed her eyes and waited to here the soft _tink_ of it landing before she opened them again. She looked at Julie then at the quarter and nodded.

"Alright then, I'll tell them in the morning, now I got homework to do." Julie watched as her roommate got vigorously to work and sighed.


	9. Chapter 9

Aurora stood patiently outside the main hall waiting for Portman to pick her up for their rock concert date. He pulled up on a large motorcycle and grinned at her.

"You ready?" Aurora starred at the large hunk of metal and nodded slowly. "You're not scared are you?"

"I've never ridden a motorcycle before." Aurora answered.

"Get on and hold on tight." Portman replied and tossed her a helmet. She climbed on and shyly wrapped her arms around his muscular form and as soon as he hit the throttle she squeezed him tightly as the metal beast roared to life. A part from that the date was terrible for Aurora they arrived at a field where someone had set up a stage, so she was freezing as it got darker, the music just as she had assumed was too fast, too loud and all she could hear from the vocalist was a roaring. Portman jumped into a fight and came back with a black eye, a bloody nose and a large grin. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the crowd.

"Do you want to leave?"

"I'd like to." Aurora replied honestly. He nodded and they walked over to his motorcycle and he handed her his jacket.

"You look cold." He told her before getting on his bike. They stopped at an Arby's on the way back to the school.

"Why didn't you tell me you didn't like rock music?"

"You didn't ask." Aurora replied biting into her sandwich.

"I guess tonight kind of sucked for you."


	10. Chapter 10

"Attention everyone, I've got some wonderful news." Mrs. Marks, the zany theater director announced the following Monday, and Aurora hoped the woman wasn't going to inform them that she was over another infection. "We are going to do a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's _Phantom of the Opera_."

"Mrs. Marks, not to rain on your Parade or anything but we don't have enough people to do _Phantom of the Opera_." A boy named Warren pointed out. Mrs. Marks looked from the students to her clip board.

"Oh yes, I see now, I was forgetting we don't have someone to play the phantom nor do we have a choir."

"I could talk to the choir about being in it." Aurora volunteered.

"Of course, trust the new girl to try and save the day." Said Emma, one of the rich snobs of the school. "We'd still need someone to be the phantom."

"That's enough for today." Mrs. Marks said sadly, dismissing everyone. Aurora made her way to her dorm trying to think of what she would say to the choir to get them to be in the play. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice Portman standing in the way until she ran into him.

"I know I'm a chick magnet but this is ridiculous." He commented.

"Oh sorry, Portman, I was just trying to . . . "Aurora looked at him closely. "Can you sing?"


	11. Chapter 11

Aurora managed to convince Portman to show up for rehearsal the next day and to help lure him in to playing the phantom, she dug out the music for _Point of No Return_, a sensual duet between the phantom and Christine that Aurora felt would be the best way to get him hooked into the show.

"Oh how wonderful, he's perfect!" Mrs. Marks exclaimed after the two ran through the song.

"Perfect for what?" He asked looking at everyone suspiciously.

"To play the lead for our fall musical." Emma said eyeing Portman hungrily.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Portman replied avoiding Aurora's eyes. "I don't do musicals."

"That's alright Portman, we wouldn't want to ruin your reputation for being nothing other than a no-talent, no-brain, muscle-bound bully." Warren snapped. "Go on get out of here we don't need you. Even if you did agree to do it I'd bet that you wouldn't show up for the actual show." Portman was silent at Warren's rant.

"How much do you bet?" He finally asked.

"50 bucks." Warren replied.

"You're on, but we'll have to move the rehearsal time back." Warren nodded then winked Aurora who sighed sadly and made her way to her dorm where Adam was standing in front of her door.

"Aurora, I was wondering if you'd be my girlfriend, I know I'd be a lot better for you than Portman."


	12. Chapter 12

Aurora agreed to be Adam's girlfriend and only felt uncomfortable when it came to their financial differences, or when his parents invited her over for dinner. The play was going fine, Portman really enjoyed his scenes with Warren, who was playing Raul. Emma was still working on seducing Portman, who did seem to be enjoying the attention, but he also seemed worn out from practices, school and rehearsal which made Aurora feel guilty. After a month of this she went to his dorm room on a day when rehearsal was cancelled, and knocked on the door nervously. Luis opened the door wearing a towel and water, clearly having just gotten out of the shower.

"Hey Luis, is Portman here?" Aurora asked biting her lip.

"Yeah, Dean, Julie's friend is here to see you." There was some shuffling and then Portman was there in his boxers. Aurora subconsciously biting her lip harder, before shook her head.

"I need to talk to you." She said then waited while he got some pants on.

"What's up Aurora?" He asked casually when he joined her in the hallway.

"I want you to quit." She told him talking around the main subject. "You're tired from this so I want you to quit."

"No way! I got fifty bucks riding on this, I'm not going to quit."

"Right I forgot about that." Aurora said mostly to herself, and then walked away.


	13. Chapter 13

The hockey season had officially started and Aurora chose to leave the hockey players to their table and usually sat by herself. It didn't bother her any Aurora was more than capable of being self reliant.

"The first hockey, game is this weekend, are you gonna go?" Emma asked. Aurora looked at her suspiciously.

"Yeah, I'm going, I'm dating one of the hockey players." Aurora answered as she continued to help with building the set.

"Who?" Emma asked, looking at Portman who was painting a wall nearby.

"Adam Banks." Aurora admitted then got up and got a couple more nails. When she went back she paused seeing Portman staring at her. When they were done for the day Portman ran up to her on their way to the dorms.

"How long have you been dating Banks?" He asked.

"A few weeks."

"What about us?"

"What about us?"

"Our date didn't that mean anything?"

"Portman, it was a failed date, we went to a rock concert where I was miserable and then we went to Arby's. Adam and I have more in common."

"Then why didn't you ask him to be in your play?" Portman yelled, and then walked away. Aurora sighed then walked into her room where there was a ticket to a Celtic Woman concert on the door.


	14. Chapter 14

-Portman's P.O.V. – I was exhausted. A month had passed since my blow up with Aurora and in that time she didn't say a single word to me outside of her lines. I walked into my room needing to get my homework done but mostly I just wanted to sleep. I sat at my desk to get started when Luis threw a flyer on my desk. It was a badly printed photo of something.

"What's this?" Some of that illusion stuff?"

"No, according to the note on the back of it, this is a picture of you." I squinted my eyes and tilted my head and could just barely make-out an outline of myself and Aurora kissing.

"How did you get this?" I asked forgetting about my need for sleep.

"It was slipped under the door." Luis told me. I grabbed the flyer and made my way back to the auditorium where Aurora was on stage singing.

"Where's Warren?" I demanded.

"What makes you think I know?"

"He told me he had a private rehearsal with you."

"He told you wrong." Aurora replied. "Why are you looking for him?"

"He sent this to my roommate." I threw the paper at her and watched as she studied it. "It's supposed to be a picture of me."

"I don't see."


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: to my readers, I no longer have the internet at my house, and am not sure when I will have the internet, but I will update when I can. I have not stopped writing and I hope you will be patient with me while you are waiting for the next chapter of my stories.**_

_**Thank you for your patience,**_

_**CSHarrison**_

Aurora handed the flyer back to Portman and made her way backstage. If it was a picture of Portman no one would be able to tell.

"Don't worry Portman; it's so badly printed that even if the whole school received one of these your reputation would be unscathed." She called switched off the lights.

"What if I wasn't worried about my reputation?" He said right next to her after she had made her blind way off the stage. "What if I was worried about Banks seeing it?"

"Now why would you be worried about that?" She asked and crashed into his chest, and just like always he wrapped his arms around her to steady her but this time he didn't let go right away.

"Maybe I don't want him to know I like you." Aurora felt her heart skip a beat, and then shook her head pulling away from him.

"I doubt that Dean Portman." She growled and marched out of the auditorium. Aurora liked Dean a lot but knew better than to hope that he would like her. Outside Adam was waiting to take her to dinner with his parents and then to a concert. It was a lovely evening but it made her uncomfortable when she saw the high prices at the restaurant.


	16. Chapter 16

It was the weekend before the play and Aurora was hanging up flyers when she got a very unexpected surprise. He'd walked up behind her and put his hands over her eyes. Quickly she spun around to see who it was and stared at Rick.

"Hey Babe, how've you been?" He asked smiling.

"Good." She replied quietly and Rick smiled more.

"Are you ready to come back home where you belong?"

"No I like it here." Aurora replied. She spotted Julie and some of the other hockey players heading to the rink. Rick studied her for a moment then shrugged.

"Why are you wearing your hair down? I told you that you look better with it up." Aurora tenderly touched her firey curls.

"Hey Aurora want to come skate with us?" Julie called.

"No thanks." Aurora called back watching her roommate watch her.

"Aw how cute, you have someone to act like they're your friend. Is that why you don't want to leave?" She lowered her eyes and Rick placed her hands on her shoulders. "How many times do I have to tell you? I would never lie to you, I'm the only one who will ever see you as anything more than a Paddy." Aurora hated that word almost as much as her Irish father did. "That's a pretty little bracelet, where'd you get it?"

"My boyfriend gave it to me." Aurora replied softly.


	17. Chapter 17

Rick left that evening but not before Aurora's self-esteem was the pitiful little puddle it had been before she arrived at the school. He knew just what to say to get her to feel terrible about herself. The following week she kept her hair up, eyes down, mouth shut and didn't associate with anyone outside of the play.

"Aurora, will you help me run through my lines one last time?" Warren asked Friday night.

"Warren, if you don't know all your lines by now we're in trouble." She replied then made her way to the ice rink where Adam's parents were waiting for her. As she watched the game she thought about how many people would come to see the play. Aurora doubted very many, after all the flyers did have a paddy on them.

"Are you all right dear?" Mrs. Banks asked.

"I'm fine." She replied easily. 'I'm fine' how many times in her life had she said that? Too many to count. Adam scored a point and she got up with his parents and cheered loudly.

"We're excited to see your play tomorrow." Mrs. Banks told her after the game. Aurora gave a sweet smile and nodded before heading to her dorm. Halfway there someone grabbed her and pulled her aside.

"What's wrong?" She looked into eyes which had a mixture of concern and rage in them.

"Nothing Dean." She replied simply, and he just glared at her disbelievingly.


	18. Chapter 18

It was finally time for the show and when Aurora peeked out from behind the curtain she saw that there were some people, not a lot but some, she looked down at the revealing outfit she was wearing and took a deep breath.

"You'll be fine." Warren told her walking up behind her.

"Aurora the hockey team just walked in." Emma said so excited she obviously forgot that she hated the red head. A small smile crossed Warren's face and Aurora shook her head walking away and getting ready for the show, at six fifty-five, Mrs. Marks told everyone to get in their places at seven o'clock on the dot the 'Auction' scene started shortly followed by the curtain rising and the play really getting started. She performed the best she could and when Portman came out wearing that mask and dressed in that old suit Aurora felt her heart stop, as they sang together. It almost felt to her as if they had entered their own little world and that Dean Portman wasn't just acting but was actually singing to her. A stupid fantasy she knew but one she still enjoyed. When he pulled her into his arms a shiver ran down her spine and Aurora Ferris felt herself fall head over heels in love with the school badass, Dean Portman. Against all logic and common sense she, the drama club diva was irrevocably in love with the hockey team enforcer.


	19. Chapter 19

Aurora looked into Dean's eyes before she leaned up on her tip-toes, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him shyly. If only it was real and not part of an act. After the play they all lined up to be greeted by the audience and she wasn't surprised in the least when Fulton Reed came up and started giving Portman hell for being in a play and not just any play but a musical.

"Well I'm getting fifty bucks for it." Dean replied and Aurora lowered her eyes. She had known it foolish to think that he might have decided not to accept the money but still to hear him say it hurt her deep inside in a place she hadn't known could be hurt.

"You ok?" Julie asked and Aurora nodded and smiled having become a pro at hiding her feelings.

"Why wouldn't I be ok? I just gave an excellent performance."

"Depends on who you ask." Emma said quietly next to her as Julie walked on down the line. "Of the excellent part I will give you credit but I don't think any part of your scenes with Portman were acting."

"What are you talking about?" Aurora whispered.

"Just that I know the difference between a real kiss and a fake one and let's just say I know your and Portman's dirty little secret." Aurora looked at Emma completely confused. What secret?


	20. Chapter 20

The after party the second night was at Emma's pool house, where everyone except Aurora was celebrating a job well done. Aurora was sitting at the edge of the pool thinking about what Emma said, and also about what Rick had always told her. She looked out the window at Portman who was shaking hands with Warren, and watched as Emma sautéed her way up to the hockey player when he came back into the pool house. Emma pressed her chest against his arm as she leaned up and whispered something in his ear. Aurora bit her lip tearing her eyes from the scene then grabbed her stuff, and left the party.

On Monday the gossip around the school was how Emma made it with the school enforcer, and all Aurora could think was that Rick was right; she was just a dumb Harp that no one cared about. While they were cleaning up the stage from the weekends performance Emma tried so hard to taunt Aurora about Portman but she didn't rise to the challenge, all she said was: "Who you sleep with is your business and I could care less." The whole week after seemed to go buy in a blur of faced and homework. Julie kept asking her to join her and the team for a skate but she always refused immersing herself in her homework. Thursday though when the team was at practice she slipped into the locker room and located Adam's locker and left something in it for him.


End file.
